Welcome to the VAIL!

The Virginia Affect and Interoception Laboratory is a new laboratory in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, directed by Dr. Jennifer MacCormack. We are a team of experimental social psychologists and neuroscientists bridging the fields of affective science and interoceptive science. We seek to understand how the body, brain, and mind shape the nature of affect and interoception across the lifespan and, in turn, how these processes and pathways matter for downstream sociality, behavior, and health.

The lab capitalizes on and offers training in a rich toolkit of methods from affective science, interoceptive science, experimental social and health psychology, lifespan development, psychophysiology, social affective and visceral neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and psychopharmacology. We are also inspired by colleagues in other disciplines such as medicine, biology, epidemiology, engineering, anthropology, linguistics, sociology, philosophy, and history.

The lab is housed in the newly renovated Gilmer Hall on UVA grounds, located in Charlottesville, Virginia near the beautiful Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway.

To learn more about us, please see our research, publications, and team.